Caravan

Unless something living decides to announce its presence, the Dark Halls tend to be silent in most cases. And for one of them, it would be like that if not for a sound of rhythmical rumbling getting closer to its gate. But this time, it wasn't a creature that made so much noise. Instead, a pair of wheels passed through the threshold of the Hall. And then another, and another, and so on.   It was a caravan, consisting of multiple long but squat metal carts connected together. Each one of them had two people sitting in front of it and two other, armed, people walking by its sides, all bathed in the lights of their carts, a standard formation that increased their chances of reaching their goal safely. The people all wore similar outfits with the same symbol adorning their shoulders - a sickle cutting down the crop. They were Harvesters and they were about to prepare the Halls for their "harvest".

  Traveling by caravan, especially one led by an experienced caravaneer and someone touched by Butterfly Kiss is the safest way to traverse long distances in the Dark Halls. Though, it should be remembered that "safest" doesn't mean "safe".   When it comes to Dark Halls, the caravan is a term for any number of people using at least two carts used either as a vehicle or the means to transport the goods, equipped with a source of light strong enough to protect them from the bites of the Darkness.  

Caravan members

"They say the success of a caravan depends on 40% of the work of scouts, 40% of the gear and preparation, and 20% of the map of the route. That would be right, but only in a perfect world. And since we are in the Dark Halls, the closer percentages are 10%, 10%, and 5%, with the other 75% being sheer luck."

— Unknown caravaneer

To work properly, a caravan needs its crew. Here are the most common roles showing up within each of the caravans.  

Scouts

While all of the members of a caravan are equally important, scouts are the ones with the most dangerous and important tasks. Their job is to move ahead of the caravan, traversing the Darkness of the Dark Halls, to check the safety of the route. When it comes to the more experienced ones, even before the caravan reaches the middle of the Hall, they find the exits leading to all the nearby Halls and check their properties. Any caravan that wants to have any chance of surviving more than one trip employs at least two scouts during every excursion.  

Driver

While all of the members of a caravan are equally important, drivers are the ones with the most dangerous and important tasks. They control the movement of the vehicles, steering them through all of the unsafe, and unstable areas, often balancing on the paths only a few millimeters wider than them. It is not unusual for something living in the shadows to take interest in the caravan. In that case, the drivers are the ones who have to put all of their skills into overdrive. Making risky maneuvers, driving as fast as one can, and hoping to outrun the thing that chases them. Every caravan should have at least two drivers for each vehicle it consists of.  

Engineers

While all of the members of a caravan are equally important, engineers are the ones with the most important tasks. For simpler vehicles, they are the ones who keep them in the best shape, using any resources on their hand to make sure they arrive at their destination. When it comes to more complex vehicles, they are also often the ones who regulate the output power of their engines, increasing it drastically in case a threat approaches. While most caravans can only afford one engineer  

Guards

While all of the members of a caravan are equally important, guards are the ones with the most dangerous and important tasks. Should any threat show up, be it human or not, their job is to protect the caravan, both the cargo and its other members. They risk their lives the most, facing any danger head-on, equipped with whatever knowledge and gear they have.  

Caravan leader

While all of the members of a caravan are equally important, their leaders are the ones with the most important tasks. Caravan leaders are the ones who have the final say on the route taken, on avoiding or engaging the threats, choosing the possible passengers, talking with strangers, and even on the fate of cargo. Most caravan leaders can serve one of the other roles of the caravan.  

Other members

Depending on the caravan, many more roles may be fulfilled by very different people. Sometimes, caravans hire those with Butterfly Kiss, using their ability to see through the darkness. In some cases, especially when using Light-powered engines, lantern-bearers might accompany the vehicles with additional light sources, protecting other people while the machines suck their own lights out.